By Ayodele Oni
Renowned legal scholar and human rights advocate, Prof. Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, has observed that some Judges in Nigeria’s judiciary are now “members of an organised political crime gang.”
Odinkalu launched a scathing attack on the judiciary following Thursday’s Federal High Court judgment nullifying the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) led by former Senate President David Mark.
He accused the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, of enabling what he described as judicial decadence, alleging that the handling of politically sensitive cases has compromised the integrity of the judiciary.
His reaction followed a judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which declared the Mark-led caretaker committee of the ADC illegal and nullified decisions taken under its authority.
The judgment also invalidated the emergence of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections, as well as the nominations of other candidates presented by the party.
In a post on X on Thursday, Odinkalu wrote: “There is a superior decadence that enables the decadence of Peter Lifu. It is called John Tsoho. He is the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court. He knows what he is doing.”
He further alleged that some judicial officers had become so politically compromised that their actions were now motivated by calculations of personal and political survival.
“These men are now so compromised, they know that they will stand no chance under a different dispensation. So, they no longer need to be bribed,” he wrote.
Describing the judgments as desperate acts of personal and political survival, Odinkalu added: “They are no longer judges. They are now members of an organised political crime gang.”
The controversy surrounding the ADC leadership dates back to July 2025, following the resignation of the party’s former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu.
After his departure, the party’s leadership was handed over to a caretaker arrangement involving Mark, a former Senate President, and former Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola.
Mark subsequently emerged as National Chairman, while Aregbesola became National Secretary, following the party’s National Executive Committee meeting.
However, the arrangement was challenged by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former Deputy National Chairman of the ADC for the North-East, who argued that he was constitutionally entitled to assume the party’s leadership following Nwosu’s resignation.
Gombe instituted a suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, against the ADC, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mark, Aregbesola and Nwosu.
He asked the court to declare the emergence of the Mark-led leadership unlawful and invalidate decisions taken by the caretaker committee.
The dispute subsequently generated conflicting judicial developments.
In July 2026, Justice Musa Liman of the Federal High Court, Abuja, dismissed a separate suit challenging the Mark-led leadership, holding that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the matter.
The court also directed INEC to recognise Mark and other members of the party’s National Working Committee.
That decision followed a suit instituted by Leke Abejide, a member of the House of Representatives representing Yagba Federal Constituency of Kogi State.
The leadership dispute also travelled to the appellate courts. In April 2026, the Supreme Court directed the Federal High Court to conclude proceedings in the substantive case after setting aside an interlocutory Court of Appeal order relating to the maintenance of the status quo.
Thursday’s judgment by Justice Lifu, therefore, represents a significant development in the prolonged struggle over the party’s leadership.
The latest ruling has far-reaching implications for the ADC’s preparations for the 2027 general elections.
Atiku emerged as the party’s presidential candidate following its primary election in May 2026 and subsequently selected former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi as his running mate.
INEC had earlier published Atiku’s name among the presidential candidates for the January 16, 2027 election.
However, Justice Lifu’s judgment nullified the decisions of the Mark-led leadership, including the presidential primary that produced Atiku and the nominations of other ADC candidates.
The ADC has rejected the judgment and announced its intention to challenge it at the appellate court.
The party has also questioned the latest decision in light of the July judgment by Justice Liman, arguing that a court of coordinate jurisdiction cannot review or nullify the subsisting decision of another court of equal jurisdiction.
With the ADC vowing to appeal, the leadership controversy is expected to remain a major legal and political issue as preparations for the 2027 elections gather momentum.
Discover more from The Source
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
